December 19, 2020

 We have the flowers. 

Given the slave patrols and other things we've seen in the basin, I thought that gathering them might have been more of a challenge. But, the actual collection was fairly smooth, though weird as things often are here in the desert. 

We found ourselves on the trail after a relatively uneventful evening. Val had been muttering in her sleep about needing to find the way south. Along the way, the non-Brethoreans hounded Ellis about his family and his past. Eillis seems a bit uneasy about his past, and it clearly made him uncomfortable. He clearly comes from the upper class of Brethore. His family owned a plantation with slaves. Ellis claimed to have worked the fields with them, trying to show that he was not afraid of labor, though I fear he only made his standing worse with some of our....hmmm...not entirely sure what to call ourselves. Our group for lack of a better term. I almost stood up for Ellis a bit. Say what you will about his dress and his background, but it seems he has turned his back on that. Perhaps he too wishes to see an end to the slave trade? With the plantation owners though...it's very easy to say one thing, but not live it out. It is always harder to live out our ideals. 

Listen to me talk as if my family didn't own slaves. Not a plantation, but still. Servants. Though without them, perhaps I wouldn't be so enlightened to this cause. If I weren't a witness to their suffering, did not hear their cries...I must remember them. 

We came upon the oasis. It was surrounded by an encampment of 30-40 people there, with wagons all around. The wagons were overturned, some of them at least. It seemed like a festival, with music and food. No one was in charge. Val was the one to spot the flowers first and I followed her to the water of the lake to collect them. We were offered food and drink. I declined, being wary of food from strangers. Of our group, only Slim partook. After finding out that the bread was made with the flowers, I am glad that I did not. 

Virgil played his flute with some of them, and I must say that he was a decent musician. I did feel myself missing my guitar that had been with me in Goodwater. It was an indulgence to carry, but a reminder of home. Perhaps I will find a guitar out here in the desert...perhaps there will be one in the town we will bring back. 

I was collecting flowers most of the time, but I could tell by watching the others that most were uncomfortable with the people encamped here. Virgil, after playing some tunes, joined Ellis at the wagons. Ellis found some moldy bread, cloth, and some nice coats in one of the wagons. The people said we could take them. After Val and I got enough flowers, we joined our companions. Slim wanted to stay and partake in more food, but the rest of us wanted to go. Something about these people gave us the creeps. They were too....jolly to be in the desert. Also, they couldn't seem to tell us how long they had been camped here or where they were from. I remembered the shaman from before who warned us not to consume the flower. It seems to take away their inhibition. Not a good thing in the desert. At least these people are at the oasis. They do seem to have a field for wheat at least. So, they aren't starving themselves. 

We saddled our horses and left. They did not seem to care that we left. No harm befell our group, but still...I do wonder what it would be like to stay with them and observe them.

We traveled back towards the town. It will take multiple days to get there. On our watch the first night, Val and I heard growling and howling noises. The second night, they were closer. I risked magic and cast dancing lights so we could see the source, and it was wargs. They were beastly. A skirmish ensued. For my part, I summoned a viper to fight for me. I do have a revolver, but I loathe to use it. The viper seemed to do some good damage, and after some gunshots from the others, the wargs fell back, one calling out to the others that they should fall back, "to the lair of the cyclops to defend the treasure." 

I was gladdened to see that there were no takers in the group. Given that they could not see the town before, I half expected them to want to chase after wargs in search of gold. But, they seem to want to press on and continue our mission.